This Silly Ol' Dance Is Perfect for Two, Two!
by slantedknitting
Summary: Sequel to "This Silly Ol' Dance Is Perfect for Two" from 2012. This sequel-ish is series of additional scenes continuing the story of Merlin and Arthur's relationship. Merlin is an archivist, Arthur is a famous football player. Modern AU. Featuring Gwen/Lance, Morgana/Freya, and goofy Gwaine. Featuring the Unicorn, a wedding, and a Very Important press conference.
1. The Unicorn

"This feels weird," Arthur said, flinching as Merlin poked at his eyelids with a soft brush.

"Don't you do this all the time for modelling?" Merlin asked. He took a tight grip on Arthur's chin and turned Arthur's head side to side, admiring his work.

"It's usually a bit more… subtle." Arthur kissed Merlin's wrist before leaning away to grab a small mirror off of Merlin's dresser. He held it up slowly, trying to recognize himself. His face was a chaotic mess of red and yellow paint, with accents of glitter of all colours on his eyelids and cheekbones.

He looked strange and anonymous and absolutely ready for a night at the Unicorn.

"If you're still modelling when you come out, you should do a really provocative photo-shoot," Merlin said, running his glittery fingers through Arthur's hair. "With sequins and skirts and wigs."

Arthur set down the mirror and arched an eyebrow up at Merlin. "Wigs?"

"Well…" Merlin trailed off, blushing. "Not into drag, then?"

Arthur chuckled and leaned in for a quick kiss. "Can you really see me in a wig? Not to mention the other stuff."

"Sure." Merlin grinned cheekily. "You'd look fetching."

Arthur laughed. "Thanks, but that's not really the look I'm going for. It's not my style."

"Are you suggesting that it's _my_ style?"

Arthur shrugged innocently. "Maybe."

"Hm. Well, I'll have you know that I look absolutely fabulous in wigs. And the 'other stuff,' as you so eloquently put it."

"See, that's what I'm saying. Maybe you should do the photo-shoot, instead of me."

"No, no. The world isn't ready for that."

"Am _I_ ready for that?"

Merlin added a bit more glitter to Arthur's hair before responding. "Almost. We'll see how you feel after tonight."

Arthur licked his lips, tasting the fruity, glittery gloss that Merlin had liberally applied to them.

"You can still change your mind," Merlin said quietly.

Arthur shook his head, determined. "No. No, I want to go out with you. It - it'll be fine. No one will recognize me… and even if they do, Lance will be there, so…"

Arthur frowned down at Merlin's duvet and picked at one of the seams. Merlin covered Arthur's hand with one of his own.

"You're really lucky to have someone like him."

Arthur couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. I know. He's… I owe him a lot."

"Well, you can start by buying all of his drinks tonight." Merlin stood from the bed and held out his hands. "Ready?"

Arthur let Merlin pull him up. He laced their fingers together once he was standing and tugged Merlin close for a long kiss. "I'm ready."

-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-

Arthur pressed tightly against Merlin, grinding his erection into Merlin's backside and sliding his hands over the bulge in Merlin's jeans, as Merlin tried to unlock the door to his own flat. He felt slightly out of his mind with how much he wanted - needed - to get naked and get off with Merlin.

"Jesus, hold on," Merlin huffed, jiggling the key in the lock as Arthur started biting the back of his neck. "Damnit."

"Just let me fuck you in the hallway," Arthur moaned, rocking his hips against Merlin to get some more friction.

Merlin chuckled and then whooped in triumph as he finally got the door open. "My, you're impatient tonight." He flicked the light on and hung up his keys. "I have - oof!" Merlin grunted as Arthur pushed him back against the door, slamming it shut, and immediately pulled off his shirt.

"You're so fucking sexy when you're dancing," Arthur murmured against Merlin's neck, working to undo Merlin's fly. "Thought I was going to come in my jeans right there in front of everyone."

Merlin licked into Arthur's mouth and Arthur dug his fingers into Merlin's sides, trying to ground himself in reality as they kissed messily. He was tipsy from brightly-coloured cocktails and high off the adrenaline of his first visit to the Unicorn; he was horny and so desperate to get more of Merlin.

"I have -" Merlin tried to say, but Arthur cut him off with another bruising kiss as he pushed Merlin's jeans to the floor.

"Arthur, _wait_ ," Merlin managed, pushing at Arthur's chest. "I have to piss."

Arthur smirked and took a step back. "You'd better make it quick." He grabbed at Merlin arse, squeezing those round cheeks before letting Merlin push off the door.

Merlin stepped out of his jeans and smacked Arthur's arse as he headed towards the bathroom. Arthur went straight for Merlin's bedroom, shedding his clothes along the way. He spread out on Merlin's bed, stroking his cock with as light a touch as he could stand. He felt like he'd been on the edge of an orgasm for most of the night; Merlin hadn't held back at the club and they'd spent the whole time grinding to relentlessly pulsing music.

After a minute, Arthur had to drag his hand away from his cock to prevent himself from coming before Merlin joined him. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to get his breathing to even back out as his cock twitched, and drummed his fingers on his chest. All he wanted was for Merlin to hurry up so he could slam into that perfect, tight arse, even though at this point he doubted he'd last for more than a few frenzied thrusts.

Being out in public with Merlin like that had been the most intoxicating mixture of terrifying and exhilarating. He'd never felt so open and _alive_ before and it had taken a while to figure out what to do with all that energy; eventually he'd focused everything on Merlin and the two of them had barely stepped off the dance floor after their first two drinks. No one had recognised him, no one had even given him a second glance despite his outlandish make-up because there were men there with much more outrageous costumes. The lights had been too low for even Lance to be noticed by more than a few people even though he'd barely had any sort of disguise.

Arthur let out a long sigh and rolled on his side to find something to distract himself. He flicked the latch on Merlin's side table, listening to the metal clinking against the wooden drawer and waiting.

He remembered his first introduction to the collection of sex toys in Merlin's side table, when Merlin had come home drunk and Arthur had read him a bedtime story. They hadn't used anything from the drawer yet besides condoms and lube, but Arthur sat up and yanked it open to inspect the options.

"Find anything good?" Merlin asked as he came in the room, naked, and kicked the door shut behind him.

Arthur pulled out a bright pink adjustable cock ring and tugged on the clasp slightly to test its size. "Is this clean?" he asked.

Merlin nodded, licking his lips. "I'll take one, too."

Arthur tossed Merlin a black adjustable one and watched as he opened the ring, slid it down to the base of his erection and then pulled on the clasp until his cock was twitching from the pressure.

"Need help?" Merlin teased when Arthur just stared at Merlin's cock without moving.

"No," Arthur muttered, snapping out of it and getting to his feet. He pushed the pink ring down to the base of his cock and then slipped his balls into the ring as well before closing it, gasping as his skin was pulled taut and everything seemed to pulse with heightened anticipation.

Merlin pushed Arthur back down on the bed and claimed his mouth in a hungry kiss. Arthur groaned and grabbed onto Merlin's arse immediately, rutting up against him and thrilling at the sudden full-body contact.

"Did you have a good time?" Merlin asked, propping himself up on an elbow and reaching down with his other hand to wrap his fingers around both their cocks. He stroked them quickly, panting against Arthur's jaw.

"Fucking fantastic," Arthur managed before losing himself in a long moan. Everything felt _so_ good and the cock ring wasn't doing much to take the edge off.

Arthur let Merlin continue until he was teetering right on the edge and then he pushed Merlin away, whimpering slightly as his cock jerked.

Merlin sat up and scrubbed his hands over his face, smearing the last of his glitter.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, rubbing the underside of his cock with the pads of his fingers.

Arthur took a few deep breaths to regain control before sitting and tugging at Merlin's hips until he took the hint and got onto his hands and knees. Arthur shifted up behind Merlin, running his hands from Merlin's shoulders and down to the back of Merlin's thighs. He leaned down and dragged his tongue up Merlin's spine, causing Merlin to shudder underneath him.

"Condoms… lube in the drawer," Merlin breathed, lowering himself onto his elbows and letting his head hang down.

Arthur pressed his forehead to Merlin's back and reached around to give Merlin's cock a few quick strokes. Merlin groaned and pushed his hips forward into Arthur's grip. Arthur licked along Merlin's spine again, trying to focus on the smooth, hot skin in his hand and not the way his own cock was leaking precome, straining towards orgasm, ready to release all the tension that had built up over the course of the night.

"Come on," Merlin muttered, shifting his weight to one elbow so he could knock Arthur away from his cock with his other hand. "Are you going to fuck me or not?"

"Not," Arthur decided before pressing a kiss to every knob of Merlin's spine that he could reach, starting from between Merlin's shoulder blades and continuing until his chin was resting just above Merlin's arse.

"Can I…" He kneeled up and dragged two fingers down that enticing cleft until he could press them against the tight ring of muscle on display at the base. With his other hand, he traced the lines on the trunk of the large tree tattooed onto Merlin's right side.

Arthur stroked one finger up and down Merlin's hole until Merlin was keening and pressing back against him, trying to get him to do more. Arthur kept his pace steady and started stroking his own cock, working up his courage.

"Can I use my mouth?" he asked, pressing the tip of his finger just inside Merlin to make sure Merlin knew exactly what he was asking.

"God…" Merlin groaned and pressed his face into his pillows for a long moment. "You don't have to," he said quietly when he lifted his head. "I get _very_ sweaty at the Unicorn. I toweled off a bit in the toilet, but, um…"

Arthur chuckled and leaned down on one hand so he could tease Merlin's balls with the other. "I don't mind," he admitted. "I really… please? If - if you want…"

Merlin huffed and nodded, moving quickly to lower his shoulders to the bed. Arthur backed up until he could lean down comfortably and then he bit into one of Merlin's cheeks.

"Hey!" Merlin wiggled his hips and reached back with one hand to push Arthur's face away.

Arthur grinned before moving back in and nosing down Merlin's arse until he could lick the sensitive skin just under Merlin's balls. Merlin started moaning immediately and Arthur pressed his face hard between Merlin's cheeks, loving that noise and craving more of it. He moved as slowly and teasingly as he could, wanting to drag this out as long as possible because the smell and the taste and the _sound_ of Merlin was overwhelming and he knew he'd come as soon as he switched his focus to himself.

"Christ, Arthur," Merlin whined as Arthur finally swirled his tongue around those pale, puckered muscles. " _Fuck_ ," he gasped when Arthur pulled away for a brief moment, his arse tensing in protest at the loss of contact.

Arthur brushed a fingertip around Merlin's hole, smirking at the red and yellow face paint that had smeared onto it, and Merlin made a strangled noise, pressing his hips back.

"Is this good?" Arthur asked, leaning down again.

"God, fuck yes, don't stop," Merlin said, reaching for his cock and pulling on it roughly.

Arthur moaned and dove back in, abandoning any idea of taking this slowly. He wrapped a hand around his own cock and stroked himself quickly, ready and wanting to come with his face buried in Merlin's arse.

"That's really -" Merlin's voice was high-pitched and shaking, like he might be sobbing under Arthur's mouth. "Ahhh…"

As Arthur licked sloppily around Merlin's arse, Merlin seemed to lose all sense of the English language. His words became half-formed and unintelligible until he was just crying out, groaning, moaning, gasping, making uncontrolled noises that rendered Arthur completely unable to think. Arthur's cock was throbbing in his grip and the only reason he hadn't already come was the extra bit of pressure from the ring, holding him right on the edge, waiting for something to finally tip him over.

When Merlin's muscles began contracting against Arthur's tongue, his balls raising higher and closer to the black ring nestled tightly at the base of his cock, Arthur attempted to push his tongue inside Merlin and that was it for both of them. Merlin _shouted_ and Arthur's mouth went slack as he jerked and came, groaning and barely registering the frantic clenching of Merlin's muscles against his lips as Merlin came with him.

Merlin collapsed onto the bed and Arthur slumped after him, panting against the small of his back and trying not to pass out from the way his head was spinning.

They stayed that way for a minute or two until Merlin let out a soft groan as he shifted to loosen and remove his cock ring. Arthur did the same but didn't move from his spot above Merlin, not caring that they were both sweating all over each other.

"You're," Merlin tried, his voice strained, "you're amazing."

Arthur managed a weak laugh, too exhausted for anything else. "That was… you're going to need to wash your duvet."

Merlin shook with silent laughter, reaching behind himself with a tired arm to ruffle Arthur's hair.

Arthur took a deep breath and slowly pushed himself up until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Merlin snuggled up to his back and wrapped an arm around his middle, repeating the move he'd made on that same night when Arthur had read him a bedtime story. This time, instead of moving away, Arthur gave Merlin's hand a squeeze before lifting it up to press a kiss to Merlin's palm. Merlin curled his fingers around the spot Arthur had kissed and got up with a grunt to kiss Arthur's shoulder in return.

"Do you want to shower and come over to mine so we don't have to sleep on your gross bed?" Arthur asked, pulling Merlin's arms around his middle. Merlin was too warm and too sweaty but Arthur still didn't mind.

Merlin nipped at the back of Arthur's neck and Arthur shivered, tugging Merlin's arms tighter around him. As exhausted as he was, he didn't want to leave this moment; he wanted to stay wrapped in Merlin at the end of one of the most freeing nights of his life. He wanted to relive it over and over again, always with Merlin, always with Merlin's bright eyes and wide smile and dorky laugh and incredible glittery cheekbones. He wanted every piece of Merlin and the intensity of that craving was a little dizzying.

"I blame you entirely for how gross it is," Merlin muttered.

Arthur shrugged, too tired to even remember what he'd said to prompt that response.

Merlin hummed contentedly against Arthur's skin before slipping off the bed. "Okay. Shower and then back to yours. I'll make breakfast crêpes in the morning." He held out his hands and pulled Arthur up.

Arthur followed Merlin to the shower where they rinsed off, Merlin helping to scrub the red and yellow make-up that was still all over Arthur's face.

When they were clean, Merlin reached for Arthur's still-hard cock and gave it a few slow strokes.

"I don't need to come again," Arthur assured him, guiding Merlin's arms around his waist instead. "You just turn me on."

Merlin smiled, blushing, and pressed a kiss to Arthur's jaw. "Thank you for coming with me tonight."

"I'm coming with you every month from now on." Arthur leaned in for a kiss but had to pull away after a few seconds to yawn. "Is it bedtime yet?"

"Yes." Merlin switched off the water and got out of the shower to fetch towels.

After drying off, they decided to risk heading across the hall in only their towels rather than bother with their clothes. They made it inside Arthur's flat without running into any of their neighbours and fell quickly into Arthur's bed, tossing their towels on the floor.

Arthur turned onto his side as soon as he got under the sheets, barely staying conscious. Merlin snuggled up to him, pressing his damp chest to Arthur's back and wrapping an arm around Arthur's front.

"Told you I'd be the big spoon eventually," Merlin murmured.

Arthur tugged Merlin's arm tighter around his chest, smiling at the warmth, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	2. The Wedding

Arthur felt like he had stepped into another life. He had the windows of his hotel room open and he was leaning outside, looking out over what could very well be heaven.

The hotel grounds were stunning: tall, tropical trees; bright, inviting swimming pools; luscious gardens and elaborate courtyards; the greenest golf course he'd ever seen; and behind everything, the sea.

He was in Spain for Lance and Gwen's wedding and the location they'd chosen had been leaving him slightly breathless for the past 3 days. The rehearsal dinner had dispersed an hour previous and the wedding ceremony would be the next evening. Arthur had come back to his and Merlin's suite to take a shower and he was waiting for Merlin to get back from helping Gwen and Lance settle in for the night.

Arthur never wanted to leave the hotel. Lance and Gwen had booked out the entire grounds and no one had had to deal with their usual lives in the public eye for several days, which was more relaxing than Arthur had anticipated, despite how much of his time had been dedicated to wedding preparations.

"Gwen is _drunk_ ," Merlin announced as he came into their room.

Arthur turned to watch Merlin close the door and kick off his shoes.

"Good," Arthur said, leaning back on his elbows to enjoy the breeze on his neck. "She deserves a night off."

Merlin smirked and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Who knew weddings could be so much work?"

"Most people, probably."

"Well, they're right." Merlin shrugged off his long-sleeve shirt, leaving him only in the undershirt that was sticking damply to his front. "I hope it rains tonight," he said, using the dress shirt to wipe off his forehead before tossing it on the floor. "I'm going to sweat through my suit tomorrow in 5 minutes if this humidity keeps up."

Arthur turned back around to look up at the sky. "Might rain," he said, eyeing the clouds. "What time do you think we should get…" Arthur trailed off as Merlin pressed up against him and nosed the back of his neck.

"I'm supposed to do some pre-breakfast yoga tomorrow with Freya and then we have to go make sure Gwen and Morgana don't oversleep their make-up appointments."

"I don't think Lance needs me for anything until after lunch," Arthur said, reaching over his shoulder to run his fingers through Merlin's hair.

"Lucky." Merlin curled his arms around Arthur chest and ran his fingers over the barbell in Arthur's left nipple. "You smell good," he whispered before flicking his tongue out along the shell of Arthur's ear.

"This hotel has provided some very nice body wash in our shower."

Merlin tugged on Arthur's ear lobe with his teeth as he unwrapped the towel around Arthur's waist and pushed it to the floor. "Tired?" he asked.

"Not a chance," Arthur said, turning around to pull off Merlin's undershirt. They hadn't had much time alone together yet and if Merlin was offering, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. "You?"

"Never." Merlin gave Arthur a brief kiss before stepping back, hands at his waist to undo his belt. "I'm going to rinse off first, though."

"Don't make me wait too long," Arthur teased, stroking his half-hard cock as Merlin backed up.

Merlin winked before flinging his belt onto their bed and then locking himself in the bathroom.

-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-

Merlin took a few more minutes than necessary in the shower, soaping up and washing off twice before he felt clean and calm after a busy day. He was having the time of his life at the Spanish resort but he and Arthur hadn't been able to enjoy much the holiday together yet. Arthur was busy with best man duties and Merlin was busy running around with Gwen and helping the wedding planners. He wanted everything to go well at the wedding and he didn't care how exhausted he got if it meant that Lance and Gwen had their perfect day.

He and Arthur had taken holidays before, though never for more than a weekend. They had a hard time aligning their work schedules and a harder time figuring out how to get away without being noticed together.

They'd been dating for three and a half years and Arthur was out to his team but not the general public. Merlin tried not to pressure him but sometimes he forgot how difficult it was for Arthur to do even the simplest things out in the world without being noticed by fans or the paparazzi. Sometimes Merlin made mistakes and sometimes Arthur did, too; the logistics of their relationship had never been easy but rare moments away from the spotlight, like destination weddings, were enough to keep them both coming back for more. This break at the hotel, which was closed to everyone except the wedding guests, was the first time they'd been able to get close to enjoying the freedom of being away from home and the public eye.

They still had to be careful; most of the guests knew about their relationship but there were a handful of Lance's and Gwen's old friends that neither of them had ever met before, and they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Arthur drew enough attention to himself without even trying, so Merlin had done his best to stay under the radar at the larger gatherings.

"Hurry up!" Arthur shouted, knocking on the bathroom door and pulling Merlin out of his thoughts.

Merlin chuckled and gave his soft cock a few firm strokes before rinsing off a final time and stepping out of the shower. He took his time to dry off, enjoying the idea of Arthur waiting for him.

When he finally opened the door, Arthur greeted him with a long, sweet kiss.

"Miss me?" Merlin teased, wrapping his towel around them both.

"Desperately," Arthur replied dramatically. He gripped the back of Merlin's thighs tightly before lifting Merlin up. Merlin laughed and wrapped his legs around Arthur's waist and his arms around Arthur's neck. "Desperately," Arthur repeated, backing up to their bed and then tossing Merlin onto it.

Merlin landed with a grunt and wrestled with his towel for a moment before he got it out from underneath him. He flung it at Arthur's face as Arthur crawled on top of him but Arthur still leaned down to kiss him through the thick, damp material.

Merlin laughed and pushed the towel away before flipping over, getting up on his knees, and pressing his arse back against Arthur's hips. Arthur bit roughly at Merlin's shoulder and Merlin let out a soft moan as a spark of heat ran down his spine.

Arthur slid his hands over Merlin's chest and down to pull on Merlin's cock. Merlin closed his eyes, relaxing in Arthur's warm, sure embrace and letting Arthur work him over until he was hard and groaning.

"You gonna fuck me?" Merlin asked, reaching behind him to scrape his fingernails across the back of Arthur's neck.

Arthur huffed, his hips jerking against Merlin's. Merlin bit down a smile at the feeling of Arthur's cock rubbing against his arse. He pushed back slightly and Arthur gripped his side, holding him close.

"You gonna fuck _me_?" Arthur echoed, wrapping his fingers around Merlin's balls.

"Yeah," Merlin said quickly, shivering slightly at the chill of Arthur's metal thumb ring on his hot skin. He enjoyed Arthur's hands for another few seconds but then turned around to tug on Arthur's lower lip with his teeth.

Arthur groaned and moved in for a proper kiss, which Merlin allowed briefly before pushing Arthur down so he could get his lips around Arthur's cock. Arthur immediately laced his fingers through Merlin's hair and tried to guide Merlin's rhythm, but Merlin had a different plan. He kept his mouth still for a long while, focusing on flicking his tongue against the head and underside of Arthur's cock until Arthur was making his favourite noises: deliciously choked-off, bitten-back moans that rose in pitch until it sounded like Arthur might not be able to breathe.

"God," Arthur groaned when Merlin finally sank down, swallowing Arthur's cock until his lips were wrapped around the base. "Jesus, Merlin."

Merlin pulled off slowly, eliciting a long whine from Arthur. "It's just 'Merlin,' actually," Merlin said, getting a hand around Arthur's cock and giving it a few tight pulls. "I dropped the 'Jesus' bit a few millennia ago."

Arthur rolled his eyes but lifted his hips up in time with Merlin's stroking. "Weirdo."

Merlin smirked and sat up, raking his eyes over Arthur's abs. He ran his hands up and down Arthur's muscular thighs, wondering if he should fuck Arthur just like this so he could get them wrapped around his waist.

"Like what you see?" Arthur asked, pulling on his cock a few times before slipping his hand lower and teasing his own arse.

Merlin let himself watch, licking his lips as Arthur put on a bit of a show and moved his hand freely from his hole to his balls to his cock. When Arthur started panting and changing his grip to slow himself down, Merlin leaned over to grab the lube off the bedside table. He poured a generous amount over his fingers and knocked Arthur's hand out the way to rub the lube between Arthur's cheeks.

Merlin began slowly pushing fingers inside of Arthur and Arthur resumed stroking himself, lifting his hips and trying to get more.

"Good?" Merlin asked when he had two fingers in up to his second knuckles.

Arthur nodded and reached out to pull Merlin's head down. Merlin licked sloppily around Arthur's stiff cock as he crooked his fingers. Arthur huffed, his hips lifting higher off the bed and his eyes rolling back.

"Ngh," Arthur grunted as Merlin pressed harder against his prostate. "Gah - Merlin, that's - _fuck_."

Merlin moaned, loving how much Arthur loved this. He swirled his tongue around the head of Arthur's cock and then sucked in as much as he could, swallowing the rest when Arthur bucked into his mouth.

"You - ah, ah, _ahh!_ " Arthur cried out as Merlin started finger-fucking him. "Fuck, fuu-" Arthur cut himself off with a deep groan that seemed to vibrate along his entire body.

Merlin bobbed his head along Arthur's cock but kept his focus on pressing hard against Arthur's prostate each time he rocked his fingers into that tight, hot arse.

"Come on," Arthur panted, moving his hips and trying to get Merlin to go faster.

Merlin pressed a wet kiss to the tip of Arthur's hard cock before sitting up and moving his fingers slower just to see the flash of annoyance on Arthur's face.

"Come _on_ ," Arthur groaned, squeezing his muscles around Merlin's fingers.

Merlin smirked and pushed hard against Arthur's prostate, his cock twitching in response to Arthur's high-pitched moan, before pulling his hand away.

Arthur flung his arms over his face, panting harshly. Merlin stroked himself lightly and watched as Arthur tried to get his breathing under control.

Finally, Arthur propped himself up on his elbows and glared at Merlin. "Are you done, yet?"

Merlin grinned and shuffled back on the bed, tilting his head to indicate he wanted Arthur to turn over. Arthur sat up instead, pulling Merlin in for a harsh kiss and reaching around to tease Merlin's hole with a gentle rub of his fingers.

Merlin moaned into Arthur's mouth and then broke away, pushing at Arthur's side to get him to turn around. Arthur complied, lowering his chest to the bed and stretching his hands up to grip the edge of the mattress. He arched his back, pushing his arse up enticingly as he pulled his knees under him.

Merlin grabbed the lube again, dripping a bit over Arthur's arse and then rubbing some on his cock. He pressed a hand against the small of Arthur's back as he lined himself up, admiring the view.

Arthur breathed in deeply and tucked his arms under his chest as Merlin pressed the tip of his cock against Arthur's hole. Merlin bit his lip; they'd been doing this for years and it was always great once they were started, but Arthur still got nervous right before Merlin pushed in, every single time.

Merlin slapped the head of his cock against Arthur's hole a few times to lighten the mood. Arthur laughed at first but quickly started rolling his hips back against the tease. He bit down on the duvet to muffle his groans.

Merlin continued, biting back his own groans, surprised at how much this was turning him on. His cock was getting even stiffer and Arthur's arse was getting red and he really wanted to get inside of it because this was turning out to be just as much of a tease for him as it was for Arthur.

Merlin ducked down to give Arthur's hole a few long licks, grimacing at the taste of the lube but enjoying the stifled sounds Arthur was making into their bedding.

Satisfied that Arthur was no longer inside his own head, Merlin shifted back up and pushed the head of his cock into Arthur's arse.

"Oh, fuck," Arthur breathed, tensing for a moment but then pressing back, encouraging Merlin to slide the rest of the way in quickly.

"Good?" Merlin asked. He leaned forward and braced his hands between Arthur's shoulder blades for balance.

"Yeah, yeah," Arthur said, pressing his forehead against the bed and reaching behind himself to grab the back of his thighs to spread his arse even more.

Merlin gulped and tried a few long, slow thrusts, gauging Arthur's response. Arthur gave a few quiet sighs and moans as Merlin built up speed and rhythm until the bed was creaking under them.

" _Oh_ , there - ohh," Arthur groaned when Merlin adjusted his angle. "Fuck, that's good."

Merlin bent forward over Arthur's back, dropping his hands to the bed and panting against Arthur's shoulder.

"Probably should have shut the windows," he said, clenching his jaw as Arthur started moaning louder.

They froze as thunder suddenly crashed through the sky just before rain started falling heavily on the ground outside.

Arthur slid his legs out wider, slotting his arse right between Merlin's hips. "You were saying?" he asked, bracing himself on his elbows and covering the back of his head with his hands. He started rocking against Merlin, rolling his hips and fucking back in earnest.

Merlin grabbed the tops of Arthur's thighs and held on as Arthur rode him, unable to stop the groans falling past his lips. Arthur was groaning too, using his control to get it exactly as he wanted.

"Fuck," Merlin grunted when Arthur lost his rhythm and started bouncing on Merlin's cock gracelessly. He leaned back, bracing himself on one hand and forcing Arthur up on his hands to get a good angle.

Arthur reached between his legs and pulled slowly on his cock as Merlin fucked him. Merlin thrust harder and gave Arthur's arse a rough slap that made them both moan.

"Are you close?" Arthur asked breathlessly, putting his hand back on the bed.

Merlin shifted back up, pressing both hands on Arthur's back and forcing Arthur's chest down on the bed again. He curled himself over Arthur's back, slamming into Arthur so hard that their thighs started slapping loudly together.

"God," Arthur groaned, reaching up to hook his hands around the edge of the mattress again.

Merlin continued until he felt the muscles in his stomach tensing and then, right when the thunder rolled again, he pulled out and collapsed backwards, panting up at the ceiling.

"What - did you come?" Arthur asked incredulously, getting up on his hands and knees and looking over his shoulder.

Merlin shook his head and grabbed the lube again before scooting off the bed. "Over here," he said, nodding towards the oversized chaise lounge near the window.

Arthur quirked an eyebrow but got up and followed Merlin.

Merlin lay out on the curved lounge, leaning back against the pillows and pouring more lube over his cock. Arthur watched for a moment before climbing on top, straddling Merlin with a knee on either side. Merlin reached out to stroke Arthur's cock, getting it slick with lube and biting his lip at how red and rigid it was; Arthur topped more often than not, but he almost never got _this_ hard unless he was the one getting fucked and Merlin loved seeing and feeling how much Arthur liked it.

Merlin played with Arthur's nipple piercing with his free hand and after a minute, Arthur reached underneath himself for Merlin's cock and held it steady as he sank down onto it, brushing right past his usual nervousness.

Merlin sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around Arthur's torso as Arthur leaned down to kiss him.

"Is this what you wanted?" Arthur asked, rolling his hips. Lightening flashed outside, the rain falling louder.

Merlin bent his knees, digging his heels into the lounge and thrusting up. Arthur huffed, bracing one hand on the pillows under Merlin's back and his other elbow just next to Merlin's shoulder. He reached up with that hand, grabbing a fistful of Merlin's hair and gripping it tightly as Merlin hammered into him.

"Fucking hell," Arthur groaned.

Merlin grunted in agreement, looking up at Arthur's flushed face and trying to keep himself under control. He had hoped that changing positions would give him a minute to cool down but this new position was much more intimate than he had anticipated.

Arthur ducked down for a kiss and Merlin tried to focus on that but after a minute he was left just panting against Arthur's lips. Arthur didn't seem to be faring any better; he pressed his cheek against Merlin's, moaning right into Merlin's ear and riding out Merlin's brutal pace without defense.

"I'm-" Merlin gasped when Arthur licked up the shell of his ear and the sensation shot straight down his spine to his cock. "I'm, fuck… oh fuck, Arthur-" His breath caught in his throat for a moment as everything teetered right on the edge and his vision blurred before he closed his eyes against the rush of his orgasm. He cried out and bucked harshly as he came inside Arthur, digging his fingers into Arthur's back and struggling not to lose himself completely.

The next thing Merlin was aware of was Arthur shifting up and leaning back against his thighs.

"Jesus, Merlin," Arthur panted, sounding wrecked and desperate and completely shagged out.

Merlin took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, exquisitely aware of his cock still pulsing weakly in Arthur's arse.

Arthur was pulling on own his cock, looking pained. Merlin reached out, wrapping his hand around Arthur's even though he barely had enough strength to keep his grip. Arthur grunted and got up on his knees, letting Merlin's cock slip out of him and bracing himself with both hands on the back of the lounge near Merlin's head as Merlin stroked him.

When he couldn't get a fast enough stroke due to the cramped angle, Merlin pushed Arthur's chest as he wiggled out from underneath. Arthur fell onto his back, his head hanging off the edge of the lounge as Merlin leaned over him. Merlin licked a line up from Arthur's balls, ignoring the taste of lube he'd rubbed on Arthur earlier, and then sucked on the head of Arthur's straining cock, flicking his tongue against the slit. Arthur came with a shout after only a few seconds, almost flailing right off the lounge as he struggled to get more of Merlin's mouth.

When Arthur's hips sank back down on the lounge, Merlin swallowed his come and continued licking around his cock until he pushed Merlin's head away with a whimper.

"I fucking love this hotel," Arthur said, weakly lifting his head up. "And I fucking love you."

Merlin grinned and pressed a kiss to Arthur's navel. "And I love fucking you."

Arthur chuckled and slid his fingers into Merlin's hair, massaging Merlin's scalp as he tried to catch his breath. Merlin rested his cheek on one of Arthur's muscular thighs and closed his eyes, enjoying the quiet moment.

"Okay," Arthur said eventually, untangling his fingers from Merlin's messy hair. He ungracefully rolled off the lounge and got to his feet. "Come on," he said, holding out his hands and pulling Merlin up. "We have a big day tomorrow."

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck and pressed a few soft kisses to Arthur's smiling lips as thunder clapped outside the window again.

"I think I need another shower before we hit the sack."

Arthur nuzzled Merlin's nose with his own. "May I join you?"

"Hmm. Tell me again how much you love me."

"Don't think I specified how much. It's not that much, really. Only a little bit."

Merlin bit down a smile and reached for Arthur's hands as he backed up, pulling Arthur into the bathroom with him.

"Too bad you're stuck with me anyway," he said, turning on the water.

Arthur pushed him suddenly against the glass door of the shower, capturing his lips in a bruising kiss. Merlin moaned, his cock already twitching with renewed interest.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Arthur whispered when he broke away.

Merlin held onto Arthur's waist for a moment, hoping he would still feel that way after the wedding reception the next day, then tugged him into the shower.

-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-

The wedding was beautiful, of course. Gwen and Lance both cried through most of the ceremony, as did Merlin from his spot in the front row next to Freya. Even Arthur and Morgana, standing under the floral arch with the bride and groom, got teary-eyed during the vows.

In the end, the newlyweds kissed, the guests cheered, and the bulk of the group moved slowly to the pavilion for cocktails.

Arthur stuck with the couple and his sister for a few emotional group shots with the photographer and then excused himself to get a drink. He felt slightly high from how excited he was about Gwen and Lance making it official. Lance was absurdly besotted and had been from the second he'd laid eyes on Gwen. Arthur loved to take the piss about it but underneath the jokes and the eye-rolls and the fake vomit noises he liked to make whenever Lance was on the phone with Gwen, Arthur was truly very happy for his best mate. He was so happy that he'd purposely set aside his strangling feelings of sadness and jealousy and made himself focus on Lance for the past few days as they prepared for the wedding. Lance deserved it, after all. He deserved to be happy and have the best day of his life, not least of all because of everything he'd done for Arthur over the years.

"Pendragon!"

Arthur choked slightly on his champagne as Gwaine wrapped him in a somewhat violent hug.

"Hello," he managed, trying not to cough directly in Gwaine's face as Gwaine pulled back. "When did you get here?"

"An hour ago," Gwaine said, grinning. "I barely made it!"

Arthur chuckled and pulled Gwaine back in for a proper hug. "You haven't come visit," he teased, pushing Gwaine away again.

"You haven't invited me. You're not in France already, are you?"

"Ah, no, probably not until early next year. Merlin has another semester of teaching in his contract and Morgause and I are still trying to work out the terms of my transfer."

"Yeah, I bet you pull the biggest fee yet. I can't believe you're quitting the Premier League."

"You did it."

"Yeah, but I'm not English," Gwaine pointed out. He took a long swig of champagne. "How does Uther feel about it?"

Arthur shrugged, tapping his thumb ring on the stem of his champagne flute. "He would prefer that I not transfer, obviously. But… it's not up to him. I made my decision very clear and he doesn't really have a choice. He'll get a nice cut anyway, so he can't complain that much."

Gwaine beamed proudly and Arthur chuckled, knocking their glasses together before taking a sip of his drink.

"Have you seen Merlin? He's been dying to see you."

Gwaine stretched up on his toes to glance over the crowd around the bar. "No. Where is he?"

"Probably helping Gwen pee."

"Shouldn't Morgana do that?"

"Can you really imagine Morgana helping anyone pee?"

Gwaine snorted. "Good point. Is she single yet?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, barely holding back a laugh. "No, Gwaine. She's with Freya."

"Freya's bisexual, right? Maybe I can negotiate my way between them."

"Freya's gay and you're an idiot."

"You're gay _and_ you're an idiot."

Arthur laughed and reached out to muss Gwaine's carefully styled hair. "We'll invite you once we've settled in France."

"I will break your face if you break that promise. Have you learned any French, yet?"

Arthur shook his head. "Merlin keeps trying to teach me, but-"

"There he is!"

Arthur watched as Gwaine sprinted towards where Merlin had just leaned against the bar. Gwaine lifted Merlin off the ground with a dramatic spin and then nearly dropped him on Elyan when he tried to climb down.

Arthur laughed into his champagne glass and finished off his drink before joining them.

-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-

Arthur was warm from everything he'd had to drink at the open bar and the rising humidity that threatened another storm, but he kept his suit jacket on to remind himself that his strategy was to stay at his table with Elyan.

He had spent most of the cocktail party with Merlin and Gwaine but they had all split ways for the dinner. Gwaine joined the rowdiest table with a bunch of other football players, Merlin sat at a table with Freya and some of Gwen's co-workers, and Arthur stayed with the wedding party and family members.

The whole thing was Merlin's idea. Gwen and Lance had been perfectly willing to let all the couples sit together, but Merlin had suggested a different set-up in a moment of clarity and sacrifice, presenting Arthur with the perfect excuse not to get caught in too many photographs with his secret boyfriend.

Arthur hated it. He hated having to pretend that Merlin was nothing but a friend. He hated having to watch all the other happy couples at the wedding celebrate their love so openly. He hated having to sit through dinner listening to Morgana's snark.

He knew it was necessary, though, and that was what he hated most of all. He didn't know what it would be like when he finally felt _ready_ , but moments like this were pushing him closer to that breaking point every day.

It was difficult not to dwell, but the alcohol and the absurd grin on Lance's face helped him keep most of his thoughts on track. It also helped that every time he shifted in his seat he could feel everything that Merlin had done to him the night before. He liked having that intimate memory still on his skin, still _inside_ of him, and it was surprisingly comforting.

Merlin, on the other hand, seemed to genuinely be having the time of his life. He was making an utter fool of himself on the dance floor, wiggling around with Gwen and Morgana and Freya as if he were in the Unicorn instead of at a dignified event.

Arthur knew he could probably get up and dance with Merlin. The lights were low and everyone was drunk and most of the guests knew or at least suspected about their relationship, but he still didn't feel comfortable enough to do it. He'd been going to the Unicorn with Merlin on a regular basis for ages, but he'd never yet dared to go without a disguise, and even though he was probably safe here, he didn't want to risk it.

Arthur didn't want to admit that he was being a coward, so he told himself that he was keeping to his table because he didn't want to take the spotlight away from Lance and Gwen. It was their night after all, and he'd been to enough football weddings over the years to know what could happen when players started upstaging each other.

The DJ transitioned to a thumping song Arthur didn't recognise and he went to the bar to get another drink. When he returned to his table to continue chatting with Elyan and watching the dance floor from a distance, his gaze immediately sought out Merlin.

Arthur almost choked on his drink when he saw Merlin dancing with Gwaine. They were laughing easily, touching each other flirtatiously, and grinding against each other without a care in the world.

"Are you sure Gwaine's straight?" Elyan asked, leaning against Arthur's arm to get a better look.

Arthur just nodded and watched, frozen in his seat, as his boyfriend and former teammate felt each other up in front of the whole room. He looked around carefully and saw Morgana laughing in their direction, but no one else seemed to have noticed.

He'd seen Merlin dance with other men before, many times jokingly with Lance, two or three times with Gwaine when Gwaine had joined them at the Unicorn with Gianna before they'd moved back to Italy, half a dozen times with random strangers when they'd attended some particularly crazy costume balls. None of that had prepared him for the way his heart was lodged in his throat at the sight of Merlin dancing with Gwaine in full view of all the other wedding guests.

When the song ended and Gwaine moved away, Arthur let out a breath he'd been holding a little too long. He turned his attention to his drink and to Elyan, trying to pay attention to their conversation, and didn't look back at the dance floor until Elyan's jaw dropped.

"Your…"

Arthur looked over his shoulder to see what had rendered Elyan speechless. There on the dance floor, with his long arms wrapped around Merlin's waist, was Leon.

"The fuck?" Arthur whispered, frozen in place.

The song was slow and romantic and Merlin was actually leaning his head on Leon's shoulder as they swayed together in the middle of the floor.

Arthur tried not to stare but he couldn't help it. He watched in a daze as Leon twirled Merlin around, hugged Merlin close, and acted like it was the most normal thing in the world to be dancing with another man. Leon was one of Arthur's more vocal supporters on the team, and he was close enough friends with Merlin, but this was more than Arthur knew how to comprehend.

The song faded out, a faster one taking its place, and Leon kissed Merlin sweetly on the cheek. Merlin curtsied clumsily and Leon laughed before walking off like nothing had even happened.

"You have got to be kidding me," Elyan moaned as Percy made his way towards Merlin.

"What in the ever-loving-"

Arthur had no defense but to drown his growing frustration in alcohol. His friends and teammates were, one by one, all dancing with Merlin right in front of him. In front of everyone.

Elyan was in Arthur's ear the entire time, complaining that _he_ was the single one and that all the hot bi-curious footballers should be dancing with him and not "that gawky loser."

By the time Lance stepped in for his turn with Merlin, Arthur had had enough. He slammed his empty whisky glass on the table, shrugged out of his jacket, and pushed himself up out of his chair and towards the dance floor.

"Excuse me," he said, tapping Lance on the shoulder. "May I cut in?"

Lance gave Arthur a wide grin and stepped gracefully away from Merlin. "About time, mate. We were about to start second rounds."

Arthur punched Lance on the shoulder, momentarily forgetting everything about making the night special for him, and turned to Merlin.

Merlin was smiling nervously, his expression wavering between excitement and guilt.

"It wasn't my idea," he blurted out.

Arthur shook his head and wrapped his arms around Merlin, pulling him close. "You're _mine_ ," he said lowly, pressing his lips against Merlin's ear.

"Prove it."

Arthur gave Merlin's ear a brief flick with his tongue before leaning back. Merlin pressed his hips tight against Arthur's and swayed them in time to the slow base line of the song thudding through the pavilion.

"This is more like a honeymoon song than a wedding song," he said casually, rolling his hips to the swelling music to make his point. "It's much too sexy for a reception. People might start having sex right here on the dance floor. What if it turns into a whole orgy? It's irresponsible. Someone should sack that DJ."

Arthur shut Merlin up with a kiss, his heart pounding, spurred on by the alcohol. Merlin smirked and moved his hands to Arthur's arse.

"This song really turns me on," he confessed, his lips still pressed to Arthur's.

"Merlin," Arthur complained as his cock gave an interested twitch.

"I'm just saying."

"Well - don't."

Merlin grinned and moved in for another kiss, this one wet and filthy. Arthur tangled his fingers in Merlin's sweaty hair and let it happen.


	3. Coming Out

Arthur breathed in as slowly as he could, counting to four. He held his breath for a moment and then released it, counting to four again.

Uther gave him a concerned look, and he realised he was probably being too audible with his breathing technique, but he wasn't going to stop. He pushed his chair back a few more inches, farther away from the microphone on the table in front of him, and continued practising his coping mechanism as Lance spoke about the match they'd just won.

He was back in England after more than three years in France, nearly half of which he'd spent dealing with a knee injury. He'd almost retired several times in France, tired of the strain on his body and the strain on his relationship with Merlin from keeping everything a secret for so long. The injury had given him a chance to spend more time with his camera and he'd even started an embarrassingly well-received blog of his photography, but he still loved football, despite it all. He'd also made himself a promise, and in the end he knew he had at least another year left in him, and he wasn't going to break the promise if he could help it.

He and Merlin had been settling back into their old lives for a few weeks. Merlin was finally at his dream job, directing the old French archives and teaching at a local university on the side. Arthur was back at Camelot Football Club, playing next to his best mates and the annoyingly talented upcoming stars of the next generation. It hadn't been a painless endeavor, returning to where Arthur was most famous and recoginsed and sought after, but they were managing the challenge by taking it as slowly as they could.

Soon, though, the possibility of taking things slow would be gone.

Arthur was ready. He knew he was ready. He knew Merlin was ready, too.

He couldn't help but be nervous, though.

He'd been re-named captain as soon as he'd returned and he had just led the team to victory in their first game of the season. Lance was waxing poetic about how much he'd missed Arthur's unique leadership and athletic skills but all Arthur could focus on was not getting sick again.

He had spent several hours the day before with his cock buried in Merlin's arse, trying to fuck away all of his anxious energy, but afterwards he hadn't slept and then he'd lost his breakfast before the game and his lunch before the press conference. All he wanted to do was go home, cuddle up to Merlin and Matilda, and pass out.

One of the assistant managers leaned back to ask him a question but it took Arthur a few seconds to register the movement.

"What?" he said blankly.

"Are you ready?"

Arthur forced himself to nod, swallowing the lump in his throat as his heart started hammering in his chest. He clenched his hands as hard as he could for as long as he could, then flexed his fingers out, releasing a bit of tension.

"Next question," Uther commanded, nodding at Morgana.

Arthur shifted his chair closer to the table again, glancing down at his notes. This part of the press conference was mostly staged and had been planned out meticulously by the club's publicity team. Morgana would start off, a few other trusted journalists would follow up, George would allow one or two unscripted questions, and then the whole thing would be over in less than ten or fifteen minutes.

"Arthur - How was it leading your old club back to victory again?" Morgana asked as she stood up from her spot next to Gwen in the third row.

Arthur cleared his throat and took a small sip of water before leaning into the mic. "I couldn't be happier with the team's performance today. I think we really came together and showed that Mercia still has a lot to be wary of."

Morgana licked her lips and gave him a quick wink before diving into her next question. "You've been oddly silent about your return to Camelot. What brought you back after your successful run in France?"

A few camera flashes went off as Morgana sat down and Arthur allowed himself a few extra seconds to breathe as the press settled.

"I've always loved this club," Arthur said honestly, surprised at how steady his voice was. "I loved my time in France, too, and - well, this won't come as a surprise to anyone involved, but I moved there for personal reasons and moved back for the same."

Arthur could see a few brows furrowing and he paused to make sure he was still breathing properly. He was seconds away from doing _it_ and then he would never have to hide again and he was as prepared for this as he was ever going to be.

"I've been in a really tremendously rewarding and supportive relationship w-with a man for the past seven years. He needed to move to France for his work and luckily I was in a position where I could move my work there as well. A few months ago he had the opportunity to return to the UK, so here we are, and I'm very lucky, again, to have been welcomed back so graciously."

His announcement was met with silence. For the first time since the conference began, Arthur let himself glance over to the side of the room where Merlin was sitting with Freya and Gwaine.

Merlin's knees were bouncing nervously and he looked tired, but he also looked beautiful and happy. He'd been on Arthur's side since the beginning, even though he'd never wanted fame, even though he'd been very clear that he was likely going to handle his change in status in a characteristically awkward way, even though he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, either. Arthur had been leaning on Merlin for years but today - today marked the first time that Merlin was going to lean on Arthur as they started navigating their relationship in public.

Arthur bit down a smile and turned back to the press, sitting up a bit straighter and gesturing at one of the journalists in the front row who had been looped into the plan a few days before.

"You seem to have just come out as the only openly gay active player in the Premier League - in any of the top leagues in Europe, in the world, for that matter."

Arthur nodded, trying not to roll his eyes at whoever had written that opener.

"Why have you waited seven years and what brought this on now?"

"I haven't waited seven years," Arthur corrected. "It's been over fifteen since I realised this and came to grips with it enough to admit it to myself. Part of me has been waiting for someone else to be the first but another part of me always wanted… to carry that burden. I can't lie and say it's been easy or that I think it will be easy from now on, but I wanted to do this for myself, and for my partner, and for anyone else out there who has ever doubted themselves because of something like this. I am an athlete and I always have been and I always will be, but I've been a gay man this whole time, too. There's no reason that should have ever been a concern for my career."

There was a smattering of applause and Arthur choked back a laugh as his nerves started to settle. He knew that he and the publicists had complete control over what was going on, but he was still pleased at how well it was playing out.

"To answer your second question, I always dreamt of coming out at home, here. I promised myself that I would, if I ever had the chance, so now that I'm back it felt like something I finally needed to do."

"Could you tell us any more about this relationship?" the next writer asked after Uther pointed at him. "How did you meet, what's next for the two of you… who is he, even?"

Arthur glanced down at his notes, at the unicorn Merlin had doodled in the margins that morning with an _I love you_ inside of its thought bubble.

"He barely cares about football," Arthur stated, grinning at the laugh that elicited. "He's an incredibly special person to me. We met sort of by accident - he turned out to be a friend of my sister's, actually. What's next for us is just living our lives more openly, more honestly. It's… it's scary but in the end I know it will be worth it. I've never been happier and I really want to show people that, and show people why. He has always been supportive and there's not a chance in the world that I'd be up here today if it weren't for him." He paused and made sure to lock eyes with Merlin before adding, off-script, "I can't thank him enough for that."

Merlin beamed and Arthur flashed him a smile before looking away and waiting for George to call on the first of the unplanned reporters.

"Hi - congratulations," the man started once he'd been chosen. Arthur nodded his thanks, bemused. "I assume that your father is supportive of this, as he's sitting up there right next to you. How do you think your mother would have reacted?"

Arthur blinked; he had not anticipated a question like that. He saw one of the publicists gesturing frantically out of the corner of his eye but he ignored it.

"It's hard to know for sure, " he said quietly, "but I hope she would be proud of me."

Uther nodded stoically but said nothing.

"My partner is lucky enough to have a very supportive family as well," Arthur added, thinking fondly of the nervous phone call he'd had with Hunith the previous morning. "His mum has been nothing but encouraging."

George called quickly on another reporter.

"Is this the first time your team is hearing the news?"

"No," Arthur said firmly, glad for a simple question. "I came out to this club several years ago, well before I left for France. My French team also knew. I know I said it hasn't been easy, but I can confidently say that things have gotten a lot _better_ since I started being honest with those closest to me. My performance on the pitch absolutely would have suffered if I had kept this to myself much longer than I did."

"Follow-up!" The woman shouted before she could be dismissed. "How did you first come out to your team?"

Arthur glanced down the table at Lance and couldn't hold back a laugh at those early, awkward memories. "Lance was the first one who found out. I didn't exactly tell him - he's just very astute." There were a few chuckles of appreciation from the press. "After that, it was… again, I don't want to say 'easy,' but it wasn't as terrible as I had always imagined it to be. I had Mer-my partner and the team had all met him when we were, um, just friends, before we got together, so it was sort of a natural progression. Most of them guessed on their own but eventually I told them all because I didn't want there to be any rumours and I didn't want any of them to think that I was ashamed, especially since I was captain."

"Earlier in your career, you were infamous for dating what seemed like scores of women," George's next pick reminded him. "Were any of them in on your secret?"

Arthur tried not to frown. He had dreaded getting a question like this, though he did have a response prepared. "No. None of them were aware at the time and it's something I very much regret. I did speak with a few of them recently to… to apologise and to let them know that this was going to happen. And to those that I didn't reach out to, who are finding out by hearing it in the press… I do want to say that I'm sorry. I spent a long time believing that my career choice meant that I could never have what I really wanted elsewhere in my life, but I was wrong. And I was wrong to lie to so many people who didn't deserve it."

He took a long drink of water at the end of his answer, hoping he was still doing the right thing. He didn't want to regret this.

"Question for du Lac," the next writer said as he stood up. "Pendragon said you were the first to find out - what were your initial thoughts and what do you think about it now?"

Lance glanced over at Arthur, who nodded, giving him permission to say whatever he wanted; Arthur trusted Lance more than anyone else on the team.

"My initial thoughts were that… that I didn't want him to feel alone. He didn't come out to me in the traditional sense - I confronted him about it because I could see what was happening and I was sick of watching him suffer in silence. He deserves better - we all deserve better, regardless of whom we happen to love, and it needs to be said that Arthur loves an incredible man. Incredible. He's clever and kind and he is unwavering in his loyalty to Arthur and their relationship. Other people should hope to be so lucky in love."

Lance paused and locked eyes with Arthur again. Arthur gulped, fiddling with his thumb ring under the table. He hadn't expected Lance to sound so passionate when speaking about him, when speaking about Merlin. He wanted it to be reassuring but it was mostly overwhelming, on an already overwhelming day.

"Arthur is gay," Lance continued, looking back at the press. "Some people might have a problem with that, but that doesn't change the fact that he's been the best football player in the world for more than a decade. He's my favourite person to play with and he always has been. I have unlimited respect for him on the pitch and even more off of it. He was the best man at my wedding, he and his partner are the godfathers of my children, and he is best my friend. I don't think there's anything more to say than that."

Arthur exhaled slowly, nodding his thanks when Lance turned to look at him again. He tuned out as George wrapped up the conference with more words of support and encouragement. His exhaustion and the gravity of the situation, everything he'd just said and done, were getting to him and he could feel tears starting to sting the corners of his eyes. He took another long drink of water, willing himself not to lose it until he was away from the cameras.

"One last question," George announced, pointing to Morgana.

"What do you think your opponents will have to say about all this?" she asked, smirking.

Arthur laughed, thankful that someone had had the foresight to end the conference on a light-hearted note.

"Nothing if they know what's good for them," he teased.

Uther and George thanked everyone for coming and then it was over. Arthur looked back over at Merlin as he shuffled off the stage with the rest of the crew; Merlin was chatting with Gwaine, who had an arm draped across the back of his chair, and he looked ecstatic. Their eyes met again for a brief moment and Arthur blew him a kiss before ducking out of sight.

-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-

"I love you," Arthur whispered against Merlin's collarbone. He felt slightly weak, dancing slowly with Merlin in public and without any disguise. This was the first appearance they had made as a couple since Arthur had come out the weekend before. It had been one of the longest, most exhausting weeks of Arthur's life and he was very ready for it to be over.

But before they could go home and go to sleep and start anew the next morning, they had to get through the charity ball.

It was an event for an LGBTQ charity, one he had donated many of his modelling paychecks to over the years, and he and Merlin were far from the only gay couple there. They were, however, the most high-profile couple there, so being surrounded by "peers" was only so comforting.

Arthur was sure that everyone there was aware of his and Merlin's presence on the dance floor and he could feel hundreds of eyes on him.

Merlin nudged Arthur's forehead with his nose and Arthur took a deep breath full of Merlin's cologne before he looked up.

Merlin was grinning like the first time Arthur had said those words to him, years before, and the sight took Arthur's breath away.

Merlin leaned in for a kiss. It was quick and chaste but Arthur was dizzy from the sweet newness of it all. People were looking at them, looking at him and looking at Merlin, and watching them kiss. Journalists, politicians, actors, musicians, artists, filmmakers, activists, other athletes... everyone was at the event and Arthur was dancing with Merlin in front of them all.

"Do you remember the first time we kissed?" Merlin asked, his hands taking a tighter grip on Arthur's sides. Arthur was grateful for the extra support; he knew Merlin must be able to feel how he was shaking, but Merlin wasn't saying anything about it.

"Yes," Arthur breathed, his eyes on Merlin's lips. It wasn't something he was ever likely to forget.

Merlin's smile grew impossibly wider. "Good."

Arthur moved in closer, resting his cheek against Merlin's as they swayed to the soft, romantic song.

"I love you, too," Merlin said quietly, his voice low and breathy against Arthur's ear. "Sometimes I don't even have the right words for it."

Arthur chuckled.

"I'm serious," Merlin continued. "I speak two languages but you..." He leaned back until there was enough space between them for them to look into each other's eyes. "You leave me speechless."

Arthur gaped at Merlin and then swallowed against the tightness in his throat. He spun Merlin out and Merlin knocked unapologetically into Morgana before spinning back into Arthur's arms, laughing. Arthur let Merlin do the same to him, though he did it with a bit more grace and managed to kiss Morgana on the cheek instead of body-checking her.

"Would you marry me?" Arthur asked once they were settled against each other again.

Merlin's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what?"

"If I asked," Arthur explained, feeling strangely calm. "Would you say yes?"

Merlin's expression softened into something wondrous and effortlessly happy. "Of course I would."

Arthur felt all of the tension from the week drain out of him as he looked into the open, trusting, beautiful face of the man he wanted to share his life with.

"You're going to have to beat me to it, though," Merlin teased.

Arthur laughed and pulled Merlin so close that Merlin could barely stand on his own feet. "Deal," he said before kissing Merlin so surely that the rest of the room and all of the eyes he could feel on them faded away.


End file.
